Jack Nicklaus and PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem held a news conference Wednesday at Firestone Country Club to talk about Nicklaus receiving the Ambassador of Golf Award as part of the Bridgestone Invitational.

The Bridgestone Invitational begins a brutal stretch on the PGA Tour that includes next week’s PGA Championship, the FedExCup playoffs and the President’s Cup. Brandt Snedeker said he prepared by taking four out of five weeks off in April and May and another three-out-of-four week break between the U.S. Open and British Open.

After winning the RBC Canadian Open Sunday, Snedeker said he didn’t pick up a club for two days. He and wife Mandy took their 2½-year-old daughter Lily and 9-month-old son Austin to the Akron Zoo Tuesday.

Louis Oosthuizen pulled out of this week's World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational and announced he is taking two months off after dealing with hip, neck and back injuries this year.

The South African who stands No. 12 in the World Golf Rankings also withdrew from the British Open, the U.S. Open and the HP Byron Nelson in 2013. He’s played in 12 events and his only top 10 finish was a tie for 10th at the Shell Houston Open on March 31.

Mahan's wife, Kandi, went into labor this past weekend while he was competing in the RBC Canadian Open. He withdrew from the tournament after receiving the news, and the couple celebrated the birth their first child early Sunday morning.

The one thing the fans will notice this week: the weather is lining up to be perfectly rare for late July/early August in Ohio.

It's currently in the high 60s at the course, at least 20 degrees cooler than in year's past. And the high temperatures for the rest of the week and weekend aren't expected to reach past the high 70s. There is a chance of rain on Thursday, but even that is less than 50 percent, according to multiple weather reports.

What it means is that walking the golf course is entirely more comfortable. The hills might not even seem quite as steep.

Field Updates

Three players who qualified for the tournament will not play: Louis Oosthuizen, Jordan Spieth and Peter Senior. Oosthuizen is now the only player in the top-50 of the Official World Golf Ranking who won't be in the field. Spieth is the 19-year-old who a few weeks ago won the John Deere Classic, becoming the youngest player to win on Tour in 82 years.